


moments

by wayhavqht



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: College Student Waverly Earp, F/F, Maybe - Freeform, Slow Burn, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught-centric, Wayhaught - Freeform, Willa isn't a dickhead, WynHaught brotp, lots of fluff, read to find out, wayhaught endgame?, wynhaught met the summer before
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-18 04:08:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15477342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wayhavqht/pseuds/wayhavqht
Summary: Waverly Earp just graduated college. Instead of spending her summer at the homestead, she takes a improptu trip to California. What she didn't plan on, though, was to fall for a stranger she meets in the airport.





	1. leaving home

**Author's Note:**

> i came up with this idea and couldn't wait to start writing it, so here it is. i hope you guys enjoy it xx

Waverly rolls out of bed and walks over to her calendar. She bites off the cap and holds it in her mouth while marking an 'x' over today's date. A squeal of excitement escapes her throat. She rolls her suitcase to the top of the stairs before going to have one last lunch date with Wynonna. 

 

Her sister's voice travels from the kitchen. "What do you say about eating on the couch so we can cuddle one last time?"

 

"Jesus, Wynonna," Waverly laughs, "I'm coming back in a few months. I'm not leaving you forever." 

 

"Is this payback because I left you for those three years?" Wynonna pouts jokingly and puts glasses on the table. 

 

Waverly nudges her playfully. "If that were the case, I would be leaving for a lot longer than three months." 

 

Wynonna takes a plate of nachos out of the microwave, shoving one in her mouth before placing it next to the glasses. Waverly's only worry leaving is Wynonna, which had almost caused her to change her mind. Waverly was fine without her for three years of course, but they have each other back now, and she can't help but worry about what could happen in her absence. Setting the worry aside, Waverly knows that she'll miss her sister. Something about their relationship brings Waverly peace-a safe place to land. If the two weren't so close, Waverly has no doubt that she wouldn't come back. But she can't be too far without Wynonna, not anymore. She needs her safe place. 

 

"Are Doc and Dolls coming to help me load up the jeep?" Waverly wipes her mouth with a napkin. 

 

Wynonna nods. "Yeah, they'll be here soon. Why don't we just go in my truck? It'll be easier to load stuff."

 

"Yeah, but," Waverly mumbles quietly, "I'm gonna miss my jeep." 

 

Wynonna rolls her eyes, causing Waverly to laugh. Doc and Dolls walk through the door a few minutes after the sisters finish cleaning up the kitchen. Wynonna always makes such a mess when preparing nachos, but they're always phenomenal. Waverly goes through her suitcases and toiletry bag, going through the checklist she made before zipping everything up for the third time. She puts all of her stuff by the stairs again, Doc and Dolls following close behind to take it to the jeep. Wynonna stays inside while the three try to squeeze everything in. She chuckles knowing that she should've pushed Waverly to take the truck. Waverly pulls Doc and Dolls to an angle where Wynonna can't see them. She takes one of Doc's hands as well as one of Dolls'. 

 

"Both of you promise me you'll look out for her," Waverly says softly but seriously. 

 

Dolls smiles and nods. 

 

"Of course," Doc agrees, "but you know if she needs you she won't ask you to come home." 

 

Waverly frowns. "I know. But I trust that the two of you will know if it gets to that point. I trust that you'll tell me, no matter what I might be doing. I won't hesitate to come back for her." 

 

The boys mutter their promises to Waverly. Dolls pull her into a hug, prompting Doc to do the same. They say their goodbyes, trading "I'll miss you's" and "be safe". Doc and Dolls go make plans with Wynonna to come back later while Waverly gets in the passenger seat. She questions what she'll do once she gets off the plane. She doesn't exactly have the money to stay in a hotel for three months. Especially not in Sausalito, California. If worst comes to worst, she'll buy a tent and camp out on the beach. Or suck it up and get a cheap hotel room. Either one. 

 

Wynonna climbs into the driver's seat. "You ready?" 

 

Waverly smiles excitedly. "I am." 

 

The ride to the airport seems longer than it really is to anxious and impatient Waverly. Thankfully, her departure time isn't for another hour and a half, giving them time to get everything out without a rush. Wynonna takes the main suitcase and a toiletry bag while Waverly takes the other handheld bag and the secondary suitcase. By the time they get everything in and go through security, there are only a few minutes until Waverly has to board. 

 

Waverly turns to Wynonna, anxious about leaving her. "Are you sure you can't come with me?" 

"I wish I could," she takes Waverly's free hand, "but you know I need to stay here. That place can't survive without both of us right now. I promise we'll take a trip together soon, though." 

 

Waverly nods. "I'll miss you, Wynonna."

 

"Ditto," Wynonna's voice wavers. "Take a lot of pictures. Skype me every night, okay?" 

 

Waverly sets down her bags and pulls her sister into a tight hug, tearing up slightly. Wynonna pulls away, obvious tears falling down her face, causing Waverly to let one slip. 

 

"I love you baby girl," Wynonna kisses her younger sister's forehead. "Get out of here before I do decide to come." 

 

A laugh snakes through Waverly's sniffles. "I love you back." 

 

\-- 

 

The flight to Sausalito is long and tiring. Once Waverly sets her luggage down to be searched, she goes to rest in the waiting area. She spends fifteen minutes playing Solitare on her phone until she gets the signal that her luggage is ready. A man in a button-up sets bags in front of her and it only takes her a few seconds to realize that they don't belong to her. After informing the man that they mixed up her luggage, he apologizes and says that it may be another half hour before it gets to her. Irritated, but understanding, Waverly sighs and thanks him. When she gets back to the waiting area, there's a redhead woman in the seat next to the one she was sitting in. 

 

Her phone battery is low, so she decides to just sit and wait. The brunette almost drifts into sleep when loud beeping sounds through the airport. She jumps slightly when she feels a hand on hers squeezing tightly. The hand belonging to the redhead she had noticed earlier. It startles her, but she decides not to let go since the girl looks scared. 

 

Waverly looks over to her. "Are you alright?" 

 

"Oh, god. Sorry," the redhead gasps, "I didn't even realize I grabbed you. Wow, that's so disrespectful of me. Honestly, I'm so sorry about that." 

 

"It's okay, really." Waverly chuckles, glancing down at their hands still touching. "It doesn't bother me."

 

The beeping starts again, causing the girl to squeeze Waverly's hand for the second time. 

 

"Sorry," she repeats. "Loud noises trigger my anxiety. My best friend usually holds my hand if she feels I need it, but she just boarded a plane with her boyfriend for the summer. It hasn't hit me that she's really gone for the summer, and you were right there, so I just reached for you without thinking. Again, I'm sorry." 

 

Waverly rubs her thumb over the girl's hand and smiles gently. "I understand. What's your name?" 

 

"Nicole, nice to meet you," she pauses as she lets go of Waverly's hand. 

 

"Waverly." 

 

The beeping starts again, louder and more continuous. Nicole sits on her hands and bounces her left knee, clearly trying to calm down without help. Waverly touches her arm lightly and nods, motioning Nicole to take her hand. The beeping gets louder and Nicole squeezes tighter. 

 

"I'm here," Waverly almost whispers while rubbing her thumb over Nicole's knuckles. "Don't focus on that. Focus on me." 

 

Nicole nods and lessens her grip, but doesn't let go. "Are you here on vacation?" 

 

"I am, Waverly responds, "I landed a bit ago." 

 

"You're here by yourself?" 

 

"Unfortunately, yeah. But that's alright. I'm clearly great at making friends," Waverly laughs and motions at their hands. 

 

Nicole smiles for the first time since the two met. Waverly's breath catches. 

 

"So why Sausalito?" Nicole inquires. 

  
Waverly tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. "A friend recommended. Apparently, it's one of the prettiest cities in California. Are you from here?" 

 

Nicole nods, "It's beautiful here. How long are you staying?" 

 

"I'm leaving the first of September. So three months," Waverly responds, "but I don't know where I'm spending them. I kind of can't afford a good hotel for three months and still have room for everything I want to do." 

 

Silence hangs in the air between them. Waverly catches herself staring at the girl in front of her, still not over how attractive she was when she smiled. Between the red hair, brown eyes, and that smile Waverly swears she could melt. 

 

"My parents have a house here on the beach that they left to me. My roommate just left me for the summer and it seems like you need a place to stay, so we could stay there? Or I can just give you the keys if that's more comfortable for you," Nicole suggests. 

 

Waverly is hesitant, but this entire trip was planned out of the blue. Nicole seems nice and if she really doesn't want to pay for a hotel, this is her best option. It's her only other option, really. 

 

"That would be great, and of course you can be there. I can't really kick you out of your own place," Waverly chuckles, "You don't want to, like, murder me or anything right? I kind of have a sister back home that would come looking for me." 

 

"Kind of?" Nicole furrows her eyebrows and laughs. 

 


	2. hotel room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it’s a little late to drive to the outskirts of sausalito. nicole and waverly go get some dinner and stop at a hotel for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i’m not sure how many chapters i’ll have so i bumped it to fifteen just incase. but it shouldn’t be more than that! 
> 
> every chapter title is a song. this chapter is hotel room by calum scott— go listen! 
> 
> i will update AT LEAST every sunday, but if i feel inspired throughout the week i’ll throw in a bonus chapter. so you guys get two chapters this week! thanks for reading. x

It only took half an hour for Waverly to get the correct luggage. By that time, it was 9:30 at night. Annoyed, tired, and hungry Nicole and Waverly both agreed that going to get some dinner was the first thing on their list. 

“I’m not sure what you like, but there’s a diner with great sandwiches about forty-five minutes from here,” Nicole suggests. 

“That sounds great,” Waverly nods as she reaches down for her luggage. 

The redhead shakes her head. “I got it,” she says, brushing her hand against Waverly’s while reaching for the suitcase handle. Waverly shutters and can’t help the warmth that rushes through her cheeks. She whispers out words of gratitude and smiles. 

Using her free hand, Nicole pulls out her phone to use as a flashlight. The two make their way out to the parking garage by the airport. Once arrived at the car, Nicole opens the trunk for Waverly’s luggage. The light inside reveals the car’s red paint. 

“Oh, hey! Your car matches your hair!” Waverly points out, stifiling a giggle. 

When Nicole got her car, her hair was brown, a little darker than Waverly’s. Ever since she changed the color, the same joke has been made time and time again. She’s heard it so often that it doesn’t pull any reaction. But now, she’s smiling from ear to ear. Not because it was funny this time, but because she’s watching this beautiful stranger laugh, and she really can’t help but to smile.

Waverly opens the car door, still slightly chuckling at the joke she made. For a moment, she pauses, hesitance flowing through her body. She thinks about Wynonna- what would happen to her if something went wrong? The smaller woman taps her fingers on the window, wondering if she’s making the right choice. She’s always had great instincts, been a good judge of character. Something about the woman standing across from her made her feel comfortable— safe. A feeling that she’s never felt with a stranger. 

“Are you okay?” Nicole’s voice snaps Waverly out of her thoughts.

The concern in the redhead’s voice assures her that her instincts are well placed. 

“Yeah, sorry. Just thinking,” Waverly says. 

Nicole figured that much. “It looked like it. What about?” 

Waverly buckles her seatbelt as Nicole starts the engine. “Just my sister.”

The taller woman fiddles with the air conditioning before looking over her shoulder. She begins to back out of the lot. As she puts the car in drive, she turns to Waverly. 

“Do you miss her already?”

Waverly wasn’t necessarily thinking about Wynonna until she claimed that she was. Now that they’re on the subject, she does find herself longing for her sister’s presence. 

“Yeah, a little,” she finally responds. 

Nicole nods understandingly, remembering the day that her sister Jamie left for college. Instead of bringing her up, Nicole decides to take the opportunity to get to know Waverly.

“Can you tell me about her? I can tell you care about her. The little you’ve said about her makes me want to know more,” Nicole prompts.

Waverly agrees, and for the next forty-five minutes goes on about the love she holds for her older sister. She shares the funny stories, their first big fight, and the conversations they had when they would braid each other’s hair. In moments she becomes sad, thinking about Willa, the sister she lost. The sister she wished she could still be telling stories about. However, she keeps her focus on Wynonna. Even still, the brunette found herself encompassed with emotion more than once as she looked back at all the beautiful moments she has shared with her sister, and how good it feels to share those moments with someone else. 

And she has no idea how much it means to Nicole to be that someone, sitting there, hanging onto every word that Waverly says. Following every story, feeling the emotion, laughing at the funny parts and feeling warmth in her chest at the sentimental ones. There again, she couldn’t help but to smile. Yes, partly from the humor or the love in the stories. But mostly from the way that Waverly was telling them, compassion and joy flowing through her. There Nicole was, feeling something for the girl in her passenger seat. This girl who she had no idea would cross her path, none the less trust enough to spend a summer with. But she couldn’t be more excited to get to know her, to hear her stories, to watch her tell them. It’s been no longer than 2 hours, and she was already blown away by the personality of the girl in her passenger seat. 

Nicole pulls into the parking lot, but waits to get out of the car until Waverly finishes the story she’s telling: Wynonna got so mad at her that she threw out all of Waverly’s tea. Wynonna instantly felt guilty and went out to get new bags and was back before Waverly woke up. 

The brunette giggles through the entire story, enjoying the happiness she feels when remembering the moments between her and Wynonna. She starts to miss her once again and sets a reminder on her phone to call her later tonight. 

\--------------

Nicole and Waverly enter the diner, both women ready to eat after a long day of travel and other interesting events. When Nicole holds the door for Waverly, the smaller woman feels that warmth inside her once again, wondering what it is about the redhead that makes her feel so cared for with each small gesture. 

Waverly makes her way to a bar stool seat but soon feels Nicole's hand around hers, walking the both of them to a booth in the corner. She is surprised by the contact but eases into it quickly, allowing Nicole to lead her through the diner. After they sit, their hands linger together for a little bit longer than necessary. Clearly, neither of them mind because neither breaks the contact for over a minute, both of them looking at their joined hands on the table top. Waverly is the first to remove her hand, only to open her Menu. She grapples with taking the other woman's hand once more, considering it hasn't moved. She decides against it.

The waitress that comes to their table ends up being an old friend of Nicole's, so their food is rushed and the price is marked down. Waverly decides to call Wynonna before their food comes, but her phone dies before she has the opportunity to dial. Waverly looks up to find Nicole's gaze directly on her. The redhead looks away, giving the brunette time to blush. 

Waverly glances from Nicole's hands up to her eyes. "Do you mind if I use your phone to call my sister? I meant to call once I landed, but you know. Mine just died."

"For sure," Nicole agrees. She hands her phone to Waverly, their fingers touching, sending a shiver through Nicole. She watches the smaller woman as she dials: eyebrows furrowing and eyes squinting as she bites her lower lip. Nicole smiles to herself as she wonders how someone can look so..  _pretty_ while doing something as simple as using a phone. The redhead admires the person in front of her, eyes following the movements of the other woman's face. She admires Waverly's hair, remembering how quickly she fixed it into a braid as they walked into the diner. Nicole wishes she could just reach out and run her fingers over the three intertwined strands. 

Waverly finally figures out how to dial her sister. Once she does, three whiskey glass emoji's show up before she hits the call button.  _Weird,_ she thinks. The receiver picks up at the other end. 

"Wynonna, hey!" 

"Nic- wait, Waverly? Is that you?" 

The brunette shoots Nicole a confused glance, who gives her almost the exact same look in return.

"You know Nicole?" Waverly says into the phone without taking her eyes off of the woman across from her. 

Wynonna laughs through the phone. "Yeah, put it on speaker." 

Waverly does so and puts the phone in the middle of the table. Nicole marvels over the fact that Waverly is an Earp, and laughs at herself for not seeing the resemblance to Wynonna. It turns out, Nicole and Wynonna met last summer when both of them ended up backpacking through some mountains together. The three of them talk about how crazy it is that Waverly and Nicole met up so similarly to the way Wynonna and Nicole did. After the food comes, Waverly takes the phone off speaker so she can have a few minutes with Wynonna. 

"No wonder I felt so safe with her," Waverly smiles into the phone, "I knew there had to be a reason." 

"I'm glad you have someone to hang around for the summer. Don't be afraid to trust her. Talk to her, get to know her. She's a really great person and I think you'll really like her. I can't believe you didn't tell me that you had nowhere to go once you got there. You're in neck deep shit for that once you get back," Wynonna lightly scolds. 

Waverly laughs. "Sorry. I'm glad I really know that I can trust her, though." 

"Yeah. She's hot, right?" 

"Wynonna!" 

Her sister's voice is down to a whisper. "You didn't hear it from me, but I know she's gay. Have fun, baby girl. Love you!" 

Wynonna hangs up the phone before Waverly can say anything. Her cheeks are red and warm when she slides Nicole's phone across the table and sits into the booth.  

When Nicole and Waverly finish eating, it's 12:30 in the morning and the beach house they're staying in is another hour away. Waverly notices how exhausted Nicole is and suggests that they stay in the hotel across the street for the night and can make the rest of the drive tomorrow. A sleepy Nicole agrees without hesitation. 

Once in the hotel parking lot, Nicole takes an over night bag out of her trunk. She always has one on hand incase of situations like these. Waverly is blown away by the fact that she didn't pack one for herself. Nicole being the travel expert that she is, of course has an extra shirt and shorts that she offers to Waverly. 

Nicole asks for a room with two singles. The man at the front desk informs them that they only have a room with a queen size mattress and a pull out couch. Nicole, tired and willing to sleep on the bathroom floor at this point, takes the room key. She also sleepily reaches for Waverly's hand, only holding it out for a few seconds before the brunette makes contact, once again allowing Nicole to lead her. 

Waverly changes into one of Nicole's shirts from college, but leaves her leggings on due to the temperature of the hotel room. They brush their teeth, wash their faces, and both decide to shower in the morning. 

The brunette starts to make her bed on the couch, but feels Nicole's hand on her lower back. "I'll sleep here. You take the bed." 

Waverly turns to face the redhead. "You drove all day. You can take the bed, seriously." 

Nicole's hand is still resting on Waverly's back, which she removes so that she can put Waverly's pillow and blanket on the bed. The smaller woman sighs in defeat knowing that Nicole won't give in. She understands more and more why her and Wynonna get along: they're both stubborn. 

Waverly settles in the bed and Nicole on the couch. They drift off around two in the middle of a conversation. 

\---- 

Nicole wakes up to the sound of Waverly whimpering and thrashing around in the bed. She pauses for a few moments, but the whimpering only gets louder.  _Is she dreaming?_ Nicole remembers Wynonna doing the same thing, but isn't sure if trying to calm Waverly down would make it better or worse. It's only 3:30, so she tries Wynonna. 

_**Nicole [3:32am]:** _ **I think Waverly is having a nightmare, like the ones you used to have. Do I calm her down or leave her?**

_**Wynonna [3:35am]:** _ **Poor thing. All you can do is try. She'll wake up eventually regardless. Tell her to call me if she needs me.**

Nicole nods to herself and eases onto the bed, trying to sit Waverly up. She shakes her lightly. 

"Waverly," she whispers, rubbing her arms. 

"Wynonna," Waverly whimpers, pushing herself into the redhead. 

"No, it's me. It's Nicole. Were you dreaming?" 

Waverly nods and takes Nicole's hand in hers, trembling. Nicole positions herself so that she's in front of Waverly, but doesn't let go of her hand. She rubs her thumb over Waverly's knuckles, trying her best to soothe the brunette. 

"Do you want to talk about it? Or call Wynonna? She's awake," Nicole speaks softly. 

Waverly shakes her head. Tears start to trickle down her cheeks, and before Nicole knows it, the smaller women is genuinely crying and reaching out for her. Without hesitation, Nicole takes the brunette in her arms, holding Waverly's head on her chest. Waverly wraps her arms around Nicole, holding her tighter. 

"It's okay, Waverly. I'm here. You're okay," Nicole coos. 

They sit that way for half an hour, Nicole rubbing Waverly's back and periodically wiping her tears. She feels Waverly's breath even out, signaling that she's fallen back to sleep. Nicole lays her back down, covers her up, and watches her for a few minutes. Before moving back to the pullout couch, Nicole kisses Waverly's cheek as gently as possible, simultaneously squeezing her hand. 

Nicole almost makes it off the bed when she hears Waverly's voice. "Will you stay close to me?" 

"Sure," the redhead whispers. A small smile emerges on her face, but her heart still hurts for the smaller woman. "What do you need?"

Waverly sniffles. "Just hold me?" 

Nicole doesn't say anything, but crawls into the bed and holds out her arms, allowing Waverly to choose a position that will be comfortable for her. The brunettes rests her face in the bend of the redhead's neck. Waverly's breath on Nicole's skin keeps her awake for a few minutes, every other breath sending a chill down her spine. Eventually, the breathing soothes her. The two fall asleep intertwined, Nicole running her fingers over the three strands of Waverly’s braid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, thanks for reading. leave suggestions, feedback, or yell at me in the comments. or you can find me on twitter @wayhavqht <3 
> 
> again, at the very least i will update every sunday !! please let me know if you guys are enjoying this so i know it’s worth continuing :-) i truly write this so others can enjoy it! anyway, thanks again for reading. see y’all next sunday!   
> all the love x


	3. drive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nicole and Waverly get to know each other in depth on their hour drive to the beach house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song is drive - oh wonder 
> 
> give it a listen <3

Waverly’s eyes flutter open slowly. Her hands immediately ball into fists and find her eyes. She rubs them sleepily and goes to move, only to feel Nicole’s arms wrapped around her securely. She sighs when remembering the nightmare she had, but smiles as she thinks about how comforting the redhead was in the midst of it all. 

She wiggles out from underneath Nicole carefully, hoping not to wake her. Waverly showers, brushes her teeth, and puts on a pair of joggers. She almost takes off her shirt but finds comfort in the fact that it belongs to Nicole and decides against changing it. Once she applies the bare minimum of makeup and puts her damp hair into a braid, Waverly plops down on the pullout couch and brainstorms ways that she can thank Nicole. Not only for last night, but for everything she has said and done the last day. In minutes, she’s out the door and on her way to the diner across the street to get doughnuts and coffee for them both. She’s not sure what flavor Nicole likes so she calls Wynonna to ask, even though it’s 10:30 in the morning back in Purgatory and her sister is more than likely not awake. 

The phone only rings twice before she hears Wynonna’s voice on the other end. 

“Hey babygirl,” her sister says softly. 

Waverly, shocked that she’s awake this early, smiles to herself. “Hi Nonna. Why are you awake so early?”

”You know I can’t sleep when I know you’ve had a nightmare.” 

Waverly almost stops dead in the middle of the road. The two of them have a strong connection, but she knows it isn’t _that_ strong. 

She stutters. “How did you-“

”Nicole texted,” Wynonna says. 

“Why would she text you?” Waverly inquires. Not upset, but genuinely curious. 

Wynonna hesitates. “Um, well, I used to have them. Nicole really, uh-, she helped me. A lot actually. The first time I had one, she woke me up and I was a complete mess. Crying my eyes out, couldn’t even get a word out. I was having them before I left the house that summer. I’m surprised you never woke up. But since you didn’t, I never had somebody there with me before. She tried to help me and I completely freaked. She left me for a few minutes but I couldn’t calm down.” 

Waverly waits to go into the shop, wanting to give her sister all of her attention. 

“I guess she noticed that it wasn’t getting any better, and she kind of just wrapped me up. I tried to fight it but she wouldn’t let me. Eventually I stopped and let her help. She just kept telling me she was there and that I was okay. I guess it made a huge difference. Not dealing with it alone, you know. That was the first time I was able to go back to sleep after having one. That’s how I knew how to help you when you had yours the first time.” 

Silence lingers over the phone. Waverly can’t figure out what to say and Wynonna can’t exactly read how Waverly feels. 

“I’m sorry, Wynonna,” the younger sister chokes out. 

“Why?” 

“I never woke up. I wish I could’ve been there for you, helped you.” 

Wynonna sighs and clicks her tongue. “Enough of that. You help me by being my sister.” 

Waverly smiles and feels relief at Wynonna’s sentiment. She whispers an okay into the phone and proceeds to get the information she called for in the first place, although she is grateful for the conversation that took place. As she always is. 

She walks into the shop and gazes over the donuts that are placed out. 

“Do you know what kind of donuts Nicole likes?” Waverly asks into the phone. 

Wynonna stifles a laugh. “You’re getting her donuts? Did you guys do it already?”

”Jesus, Wynonna.” The brunette rolls her eyes. “No we didn’t. I’m thanking her for last night and all she’s done and is doing for me this summer.” 

“You don’t have to do that. That’s just the kind of person she is, she doesn’t expect anything in return.” 

“Yeah, and I’m sure she’s used to not getting anything for all that she does. I want to change that for her,” Waverly counters while bending down to get a better view of the pastries. “How does she like her coffee?”

“Coffee, too?” Wynonna scoffs, “You don’t even do that for me on my birthday.” 

“Whatever. Are you helping me or not?” 

“Glazed and black,” the older sister mumbles, “so do you like her?” 

Waverly puts her hand over the speaker and asks the woman behind the counter for a dozen glazed and two black coffees. 

“Like her? Wynonna it’s been a day. Plus, I’m only here for 3 months. She’s beautiful and I already know that she’s so, so kind. Getting into anything would be pointless. And she probably would never like me back,” Waverly rambles while she pays. She lets the waitress keep the change and pushes the diner door open with her back.

”Who says you can’t have fun while you’re there? And she’d be an idiot not to like you,” Wynonna pouts. She secretly roots for her sister and friend. 

“I’m almost back to our room, so I gotta go. But thanks for the help, you’re the best.” 

“I know I am. Love you babe,” Wynonna goes to hang up the phone but Waverly shouts over the line. 

“Wait,” Waverly hesitates, “anytime that she would comfort you after a nightmare, did she stay with you all night?” 

Wynonna thinks back, taking a few minutes to answer. “Nope. Every time I woke up she was back on the couch.” 

Waverly blushes to herself, “Cool. Well, bye love you!” 

“Oh, my god! Waverly Earp she cuddled you all ni-,” Wynonna’s voice cuts off as the brunette quickly hangs up.

—

Nicole groans as she rolls around the bed trying to get herself up. It only takes her a few seconds to realize that Waverly isn’t next to her and she shoots straight up. She glances at the nightstand to look for Waverly’s phone, but it’s empty. 

“Waverly?” She calls, peering her head around the bathroom door. 

No answer. 

Panic takes over as Nicole realizes she doesn’t have Waverly’s phone number. She scrambles for her own phone and frantically dials Wynonna. It rings twice before the older Earp picks up. 

“Hey Haught, what’s-,” 

“I cant find Waverly. I just woke up and she’s not here. I can’t figure out where she went,” Nicole cuts her off.

“Slow down, Nicole. I can’t understand what you’re saying.” Wynonna says firmly.

Nicole swings her purse around her shoulder and grabs her keys and makes her way to the door. She flings it open but only makes it halfway out, the brunette standing in her way. They both scream, startled, and Waverly nearly drops one of the coffees on the hotel room floor. 

Nicole pants, then sighs of relief. “Never mind, Wyn. I found her.” 

Waverly slips past Nicole and sets the donuts on the table in front of the couch. She puts a donut on a napkin sets it on the other side of the table for Nicole, along with the coffee. The redhead paces in front of the tv for a minute attempting to calm herself down. Waverly looks at her in confusion, eventually standing to go help her. 

“What’s wrong?” Waverly approaches Nicole slowly, hands out in front of her.

”Why didn’t you tell me you were leaving?” 

Waverly furrows her eyebrows, confused as to why she’s so upset. “You were sleeping. I didn’t want to wake you.”

”I don’t care what I’m doing,” Nicole scoffs, “tell me if you plan to leave so I don’t freak out when I wake up and you’re not here.” 

The brunette feels irritation spread through her body. She was trying to do something nice, and this is what happens. For a moment, she wants to respond with something snarky, but remembers Nicole’s anxiety and decided against it. She doesn’t know why she feels this way or what in her past could’ve caused this reaction. 

Wavedly takes a deep breath before replying gently. “Okay. You’re right, I’m sorry.” 

Nicole nods, finally noticing the donuts and coffee. She smiles and her voice softens, “You went out to get all this?” 

Waverly returns the smile, “Yeah. Just a way to say thanks.” 

“You didn’t have to.” 

“I know, but you didn’t have to do what you did last night. Or let me stay with you this summer.” 

The two of them exchanged lingering smiles before Nicole sat down and ate her donut. They sipped on their coffees and made small conversation. As Nicole talks about all the things that they could do over the next three months, Waverly begins to space. She thinks about how comfortable she feels around Nicole. How safe and at home she feels, how much of Wynonna she sees in the woman sitting across from her. She thinks about how she will more than likely continue to have nightmares and how easy she feels it will be to tell Nicole. 

She sighs, cutting off Nicole mid sentence. “Can I tell you something?”

”You can tell me anything,” Nicole responds. She perks up, as if she’s reading herself to fully listen. 

Waverly takes a deep breath. “A year and a half ago, Wynonna got into some trouble one weekend. Nedley called me and told me he wasn’t going to press charges and I could come get her. I didn’t want to drive alone, so I got our older sister Willa to come with me. On our way there, I called our mom to tell her what was going on. She didn’t care. She didn’t care about Wynonna, or the fact that Willa and I were out going to get her on the icy roads. Our mom never cared about anything but drugs. She’s been an addict for as long as I can remember, so that reaction shouldn’t have been a shock to me. But I was hurt. I was frustrated with Wynonna, I was tired, and I was mad that our mom didn’t care. I threw my phone in the backseat and I started to cry. A few minutes later it started to ring. Thinking it could be Wynonna or Nedley, Willa unbuckled her seatbelt to get it.” 

Waverly pauses, choked up. Nicole scoots around the table and sits next to her, turning to look at her. Waverly keeps her eyes on Nicole’s coffee cup. 

“I looked back to try to get her back in her seat. I wasn’t paying attention and ran a red light. We got hit, Willa died instantly,” Waverly sniffles. 

Nicole sighs and rubs a hand over the brunette’s back. “I’m sorry.” 

“I dream about it all the time. I dream that it’s Wynonna. I dream that it’s my mom after getting out of rehab. I dream that it’s my best friends. That it’s me. Sometimes I even dream that she lives,” Waverly continues, fighting back the emotion in her throat. 

“I know,” Nicole whispers.

“Wynonna told you this already, didn’t she?” 

Nicole nods and runs a thumb over Waverly’s braid. 

“Why didn’t you ask me about it when I woke up?” 

The redhead pauses for a moment. “It’s your story to tell. I wanted you to come to me when you were comfortable, regardless of how much I already knew.”

Waverly takes the redhead’s hand. She raises it to her lips, pressing a kiss to Nicole’s knuckles and holds their intertwined hands over her chest. “You’re sweet. Thank you.” 

“Thank you for sharing that with me,” Nicole barely whispers. 

“You make it easy.” 

They sit in silence for several minutes, soaking up each one another’s presence. The sound of Waverly’s phone buzzing breaks the peace. Without releasing Nicole’s hand, she reaches for her phone and opens a text from Wynonna. 

_**Nonna <3 [4:17pm]: **There’s a Drive-in a few minutes from Nicole’s beach house. I know you love them so I bought you guys a ticket. Click the link I sent for the receipt and it’ll get you in. Have fun! _

_**Nonna <3 [4:18pm]:** _ _P.S. Maybe this can be your first date? ;) love you._

Waverly shows Nicole the text, causing the both of them to laugh lightly. Nicole’s heart flutters at the part about the date, but Waverly doesn’t seem to think much into it, so the redhead tries to ignore it. 

The movie starts at 6, so the women leave the hotel around 4:45. It’s a little later than Nicole wanted to leave considering the traffic, but she didn’t want Waverly to feel rushed. The movie ends up being _The Book Thief_ ,which causes Waverly to squeal.

“This was my favorite book growing up,” Waverly grins as she helps Nicole spread a blanket over the hood of the car. 

Nicole takes another one of her spare blankets out of the trunk, handing it to Waverly. “And you’ve never seen the movie?” 

“No,” the brunette shakes her head, “I didn’t want it to ruin the book.” She hoists herself onto the car’s hood. 

The redhead follows, sitting only a few inches from her. “Understandable, but I’ve learned that you can only compare books and movies to a certain extent.” 

Waverly turns to her, grinning once again. “Is that so?” 

“I think, yeah.” 

Waverly continues smiling at Nicole, unable to pinpoint why this conversation made her admiration for the woman next to her grow. Silence rests comfortably between them, smiles exchanging. 

“But I also think you’ll like it,” Nicole clears her throat, “the movie made me cry just as much as the book.” 

“I didn’t cry when I read the book,” Waverly hesitates. 

Nicole gasps, causing Waverly to bury her smiling face in her hands. 

The redhead laughs, “you monster!” She throws complimentary popcorn into wavy brown strands. 

Waverly giggles and takes Nicole’s hand to prevent the popcorn throwing, pulling the taller woman into her. Nicole leans her head onto Waverly’s shoulder, the both of them calming down as the movie intro plays. 

Halfway through The Book Thief, they reposition themselves. Nicole sits up, scooting to the top of the hood, her legs crossed. One of her hands runs through Waverly’s hair, whose head is in her lap, and the other rests on the brunette’s shoulder. Waverly traces circles on the part of Nicole’s arm that she can reach. They sit that way until the movie ends.

Nicole’s cheeks are stained with tears from the final scene while Waverly is vigorously wiping hers away. 

“At least the movie made you cry,” Nicole laughs through a sniffle. 

Waverly shakes her head. “How could I not? It was beautiful.” 

“So are you,” Nicole says. She didn’t mean to say it, but it was already out there. And if she was being honest with herself, she can breathe better now that she admitted it. 

The brunette can feel her breath catch. She goes to respond, even though she’s not sure how, when she feels a raindrop fall onto her knuckle. And then another. And then another. 

“Is that?” Nicole feels the moisture too. 

The rain falls harder, pouring now. And it’s bouncing off the roof of the car. Noise is roaring around the two women, who remain somewhat entangled on the hood of the car. 

Waverly sits up and turns to face Nicole. Their faces are now inches apart. Both of them are drenched and sitting on soggy blankets. Nicole tucks a stray piece of hair behind Waverly’s ear gently. She misses rubbing her thumb over the usual braid, but this will have to do. 

Nicole stares into brown eyes and glances to lips. She goes back and forth several times but grapples for confidence. 

_Kiss her, you idiot._

Waverly sighs internally. _Please kiss me._

Seconds pass.Waverly chuckles, but it’s barely heard because of the rain. She leans in slowly and neither of them can breathe. Nicole closes her eyes and continues to hold her breath until she feels lips connect to her cheek. She exhales. 

“You’re beautiful, too,” Waverly whispers. Nicole is amazed that she heard it in the midst of the rain, but she is so glad that she did. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for not updating when i said i would,, school hit me harder than expected and i have been dealing with some personal things! but anyway, i love this chapter and hope you guys do too! 
> 
> i’m also starting another fic based off an au that someone tweeted. i found it interesting and am super excited to start reading it, so look out for that!! 
> 
> as always— thanks for reading x
> 
> feel free to yell at me or leave suggestions at my twitter: @wayhavqht

**Author's Note:**

> things will progress next chapter, i promise! this fic will only be 12 or so chapters because 
> 
> 1.) i can't really keep up with a fic during the school year which is about to start  
> 2.) i'm sort of bad at keeping up with a long story. 
> 
> so readers who want more than a one-shot but now a whole ass book, this is for you!


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